SOUTHWESTERN FLAVORS

Southwestern Flavors

            Consider winter as a spectator sport, Some of us actually do.  I realize this is not likely to occur to anyone driving a snowplow at night under blizzard conditions.  Nor is it likely to occur to someone engaged in zigzagging down a ski slope. But, anyone outdoors on a clear winter’s day is likely to notice the crisp sparkle and etched outlines of everything around them.

            On the other hand, slipping and sliding on the drive or trying to unlock a frozen car door with numb fingers obliterates the most magnificent view. No, I’m not going to grouse about those things, since the Humble Farmer has done already a much better job, with his longer years of experience, than I could ever aspire to achieve.

            Having moved to Maine from Arizona quite a few years ago, I find this dichotomy of feelings still puzzles me. However, winter living in Maine requires some ingenuity as one gets older and more housebound by the weather. Short of taking a winter vacation to some warmer latitude, the kitchen can create an imaginary winter oasis.  Southwestern flavors are likely to wake one up from those winter shivers.

            Still, this being the Northeast, hearts of palm are not likely to sound reasonable for the table in a major way. Thus, blending the local and seasonal fare with new flavors can achieve much toward our goal. Even better, when the product is hearty, nourishing as a main meal, easy on the waistline and can be reheated for several servings.  Unlike beans, lentils cook in half an hour without pre-soaking.

                                    Southwestern lentil stew

            Rinse and pick over 1 cup dried French green lentils. Sautè 1 chopped medium onion in 1 Tblsp. olive oil  in a 3 quart pot for 5 minutes, add 1-2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp chopped ginger, 1 tsp. oregano, ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes, 1 chopped stalk of celery and continue for another minute. Stir in 2 cups water and 3 cups beef broth. Bring to boil, then add the lentils, 1 chopped carrot, 1 (14 oz) can of fire roasted diced tomatoes and 1 dried Ancho chile. Cut in bite size pieces 1-2 oz. of country ham flavoring pieces and add to the pot.  Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes stirring a couple of times. Remove the chile, scraping to remove the pulp for the soup, discard the rind and stem. Adjust salt and pepper seasonings and add ½ cup red wine (optional) and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and crusty bread. Substitute vegetable broth and a dried chipotle pepper for beef broth and the ham to give strong and smoky flavor when making a vegetarian version of this dish.

            Barbecued and pulled pork come to mind for Southern menus. But flavorful Southwestern rubs for meat can enhance both pork chops and a pork roast.

                                    Savory Southwestern Pork Chops

            Lightly season 4 pork chops with Southwestern flavor rub, salt and pepper. Brown pork chops in a little vegetable oil in a large skillet. Top with ½ cup chopped onions. Mix together: 1 cup canned  plum tomatoes, broken apart with a fork with 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, ¼ tsp. chili powder, small pinch of red pepper flakes and 1 tsp, sugar. Pour tomato mixture over the chops, cover and cook on low heat for 1 hour, turning the chops occasionally, until the chops are tender.                              

            Pork tenderloin has become a popular cut for a lean and quick pork roast. A more flavorful cut is the pork shoulder or but roast. This meat is succulent and  extra fat can be easily trimmed after roasting. It is quite easy to prepare before it goes in the oven and requires no tending while roasting.

                                    Southwestern roasted pork shoulder

            Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wipe a 4 ½ lb boneless pork shoulder roast, rub on all sides with Southwestern seasoning, salt and some pepper to taste.  Score the fat cap with a sharp knife in a diamond pattern and insert some cloves in the scored fat. Thickly slice 2 large onions, layer in a baking pan or shallow casserole with sides and pour in ½ cup water. Place the seasoned meat on top of the onions. Place pan in the oven and immediately turn the temperature to 350 degrees. Roast for 2 hours and 40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to set for 15 minutes before carving. The onions can be turned into a savory gravy with some flour, water and some red wine. Serve with cut up sweet potatoes roasted with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and garlic sautéed kale.

            Your feet may still be cold with our North Eastern winter, but your palate will think it has gone on vacation.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)

LIGHTEN UP!

Beautiful new beginnings.......
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Lighten Up!

Unless you are one of those rare people with incredible will power, come January 1 you are likely feeling some guilt about all those holiday indulgences. It also would be nice to have once more a comfortable relationship with your scale each morning. The obvious solution is to ‘lighten up’ both figuratively and in the actual sense.

Our daylight time is  in the upswing, but according to the 2016 Farmer’s Almanac we only gain 48 minutes of daylight in the month of January.  At the same time winter has finally arrived in Maine this year with properly low temperatures and the first significant snowfall ending 2015.

This is hardly is the time to encourage us to ‘lighten up’ by going to lighter meals of cool salads. The body naturally desires warm substantial fare to chase away the winter chill, but not all such meals need to be heavy or smothered with rich sauces. It is possible to achieve meals that satisfy our cravings for substance by providing substantial flavors without the substantial calories.

Clear vegetable soups and tomato based soups are always tasty when prepared with generous portions of herbs. My favorite quick soup that actually can be prepared in 20 minutes, is low calorie and will chase away the chill admirably.

                        Quick tomato – cabbage (rice) soup

Heat together: 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth with 2 cups tomato juice and 1 tsp. any strong flavored herb seasoning blend. Stir in 2 cups shredded cabbage and continue to cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Serve hot. If you have leftover cooked rice, you can substitute that for the cabbage and cook only 5 minutes.

                        Broiled fish

Broiled, rather than fried fish comes to mind as a light source of protein. Alas, unless grilled on a campfire it  tends to be rather ‘blah’. However, both salmon and white fish like haddock and cod, basted with a couple of teaspoons of olive oil, mixed with a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and couple of teaspoons of white wine vinegar, a bit of salt and pepper can become a very tasting offering when broiled for 9 to 10 minutes.

Roast chicken can be ‘light’ if not smothered with gravy. Grilled chicken is wonderful in its season, but most of us do not like standing over an outdoor grill in a snow-bank. However, other flavorful effects can be achieved with oven ‘fried’ chicken, which is much less caloric than fried chicken, but still provides that delectable crunch.

            Oven fried chicken with Gruyère

This can be prepared with 3 bone-in skinless half chicken breasts (~12 oz. each) or 5-6 bone-in skinless chicken thighs. In a shallow bowl mix: ¼ cup spicy brown mustard, 1 Tblsp. herb seasoning mix, 2 Tblsp. light sour cream, ½ tsp. garlic powder, ½ tsp. lemon-pepper (optional). On another plate stir together 3 cups cornflake cereal, lightly crushed with ¼ cup shredded Gruyère cheese (or Parmesan). Coat the chicken pieces with the flavored paste, then roll in the crumb mixture. Place on a baking sheet lightly coated with butter flavor cooking spray and lightly spray the chicken on top with the same spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour until chicken is golden brown. Serve warm.

If your sweet tooth is about to go in ‘withdrawal’ after the delights of the holiday season, there are simple fruit desserts that do not require much sugar and have a negligible fat content. My two favorites require very little effort.

                        Oven poached pears with cranberries

In a 1 quart pan stir together: ½ cup white wine, ¾ cups sugar, ½ tsp. fresh grated ginger, ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp. ground cloves, 2 Tblsp. cider vinegar. Heat to just boiling with stirring to dissolve the sugar. Thinly pare 4 Bosc pears, halve and scoop out the core. Thinly slice 1 lemon, discarding the ends.  Lay pears in a 1-2 inch deep 2 qt. baking dish, spread the lemon slices among them. Scatter 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries on top. If using dried cranberries, first steam them briefly to reconstitute. Pour the sauce over everything.  Cover dish tightly with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

                        Roasted honey pineapple

Peel and quarter a golden pineapple. Cut each quarter in 3 long wedges. In the microwave heat ½ cup orange juice with 2 Tblsp. honey and 1 Tblsp. lemon juice.  Pour over pineapple in a shallow dish and marinate for 30 minutes, basting occasionally. Preheat oven to 450 degrees on roast. Drain pineapple, spread single layer on a parchment lined shallow pan and roast for 10 minutes. Arrange on a platter and drizzle with a bit more honey.

Starting the New Year ‘light’ should prove to be quite delicious.

(I. Winicov Harrington lives in Waldoboro and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)